Sacred … Read Full Bio ↴Sacred Oath is an Power Metal band from Bethel, Connecticut.
Sacred Oath was originally formed in 1985 by Rob Thorne and Pete Altieri while the two were classmates at Bethel High School. The band recorded their first demo in 1985 and quickly sold hundreds of them through local stores like Record Broker and Phoenix Records, developing a loyal following referred to as the "Oathbangers."
They signed a recording contract with the Mercenary Records label in 1986, shortly after recording their second demo Shadow Out Of Time. By then the band was becoming known internationally in an underground circuit. Members Rob Thorne, Pete Altieri, Glen Cruciani, and Kenny Evans recorded Sacred Oath's debut album A Crystal Vision in May of 1987 at Presence Studios in East Haven CT, where Dave Obrizzo produced and Jon Russell engineered. The album was released in 1988 on vinyl, cassette, and CD and went on to garner cult-classic status as one of the pioneer efforts of the American power metal movement.
The band disbanded in December 1988 before the album had caught on, due to creative disagreements and frustration with their failing record label. Mercenary Records and its parent label Celluloid Records went bankrupt soon after.
Sentinel Steel Records reissued the debut album in 2001 through an exclusive agreement with the band. The band reformed and re-recorded the songs from that album, releasing them as A Crystal Revision in 2005. Rob and Kenny continued to record as Sacred Oath, issuing the critically acclaimed comeback album Darkness Visible in 2007 with all four original members.
In 2008 they released a live album 'Till Death Do Us Part recorded during their tour of Europe. This album featured a new guitarist (Billy Smith) and a new bass player (Scott Waite), and established the band as back and fully active in the current music world.
In 2009, the new lineup of Sacred Oath recorded their self-titled album, "Sacred Oath," featuring their first single, "Counting Zeros." The music video has featured on MTV2's "Headbangers Ball." However, after recording the album, bassist Scott Waite parted ways before playing any shows. New bass player, Brendan Kelleher, has taken his place and will be playing with Sacred Oath on their world tour.
Discography:
1987: A Crystal Vision
2005: A Crystal Revision
2007: Darkness Visible
2008: ...'Till Death Do Us Part (Live Album)
2009: Sacred Oath
Band members:
Rob Thorne (Real name Rob Volpintesta) – Lead vocals/Guitar (1985–present)
Kenny Evans – Drums (1985–present)
Bill Smith – Guitar (2008–present)
Brendan Kelleher – Bass (2009–present)
Battle Cry
Sacred Oath Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Across the fields we see the fight
On battlefields fought through the night
We killed by force, we struck them dead
The men were gored, we moved ahead
So many fell to meet their doom
We met our fate and felt the pain
A thunderstorm of crimson rain
Horses galloping through the trees
Bloody soldiers on their knees
Raise the swords, it's time to die
Screaming out our battle cry
Battle Cry!
Battle Cry!
Time to die!
Battle Cry!
A flag is raised in victory
The battlefield is a blood-red sea
We fought the war and lived to tell
About the war and of its hell
We've seen it all the bodies falling
Millions watching others mauling
A canopy for human season
Millions die without a reason
Horses galloping through the trees
Bloody soldiers on their knees
Raise the swords, it's time to die
Screaming out our battle cry
Battle Cry!
Battle Cry!
Time to die!
Battle Cry!
The lyrics to Sacred Oath's "Battle Cry" describe the gruesome and violent scenes of a battle. The song starts off with the image of soldiers fighting through the night, killing by force and leaving many dead in their wake. The chorus, "Battle Cry! Time to die!," reinforces the idea that this is a fight to the death. The second verse highlights the horror of war - scenes of horses galloping through trees, soldiers on their knees in agony, and millions of bodies falling. The flag raised in victory at the end of the battle is a red sea of blood, a constant reminder of the price that was paid for the victory.
Overall, the lyrics of "Battle Cry" are a harsh reminder of the brutality of war. They emphasize the pain and suffering experienced by soldiers and civilians alike. The repeating chorus of "Battle Cry!" serves to reinforce the idea that war is a brutal and unrelenting fight for survival. The song highlights the futility of war and the devastating effects it has on everyone involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Across the fields we see the fight
We observe the battle in the distance, as it stretches across fields.
On battlefields fought through the night
The fighting continues relentlessly throughout the night, on these endless battlefields.
We killed by force, we struck them dead
With ruthless, brutal force, we killed our enemies and left them dead.
The men were gored, we moved ahead
We charged forward, leaving bleeding and wounded men behind us.
So many fell to meet their doom
Countless soldiers met their end in this battle, and met their tragic end.
So many more will be there soon
Many more will soon be added to this endless death count, as war continues.
We met our fate and felt the pain
We accepted our destiny and bore the physical and emotional pain of this war.
A thunderstorm of crimson rain
The rain of blood that fell down upon us was torrential and relentless, like a thunderous storm.
Horses galloping through the trees
The horses of war run rampant through the trees, with no heed for their surroundings.
Bloody soldiers on their knees
The soldiers, bloody and injured, fall to their knees in the midst of battle.
Raise the swords, it's time to die
We raise our swords and face the inevitability of death, as it comes for us all.
Screaming out our battle cry
We yell out our battle cry, a rallying cry that gives us strength and courage in the face of death.
A flag is raised in victory
After the smoke clears and the fighting ends, a flag is raised in triumph over the enemy.
The battlefield is a blood-red sea
The warzone is awash in blood, like a scarlet sea of death and destruction.
We fought the war and lived to tell
We fought in this deadly war and lived to speak of its horrors and losses.
About the war and of its hell
We share our stories of the war, and recount the unimaginable depths of hell we experienced.
We've seen it all - the bodies falling
We have witnessed everything in this war - from the falling of bodies to the tragedy of countless lives lost.
Millions watching others mauling
As soldiers fought and died, millions watched from home, witnessing the carnage and destruction of war.
A canopy for human season
War is a time of darkness and death that spreads over humanity like a deadly canopy.
Millions die without a reason
Countless people die in war every year, often without a justifiable reason for their deaths.
Battle Cry!
Our rallying cry, our strength in the face of death - a call to battle.
Time to die!
We know that our time has come, and that our fate is to face death.
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheJimwasp
Hymn!!!